Crimes against English: February 2008 Archives

We saw these signs on top of the Facciatone - the massive, unfinished medieval addition to Sienna's Duomo. The views provide 360 degrees of Tuscan splendor and the enclosure, with its 3 foot tall walls, has an element of danger that is hard to find in America. No additional guardrails or fences, just a sign reminding one to hold their children for hand....

In the wake of the decision by Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) to not invite the Astana cycling team to ride in the 2008 Tour de France, Levi Leipheimer and Alberto Contador have both launched online campaigns to gather signatures in hopes of changing ASO's mind.

Astana, or Team Borat, as I like to call it, had a spot of doping bother last year when team leader Alexander Vinokourov and other members failed to pass their blood tests and were yanked from the Tour. However, Astana was purged and gained all new riders - primarily from last year's Discovery Channel team. Same name, new riders. Being punished for last year's troubles. Hence the signature campaigns by Contador and Leipheimer, last year's Tour de France 1st and 3rd place winners, respectively.

Leipheimer currently has 42,464 signatures on his shiny English language website. No surprise there as he has become the American favorite on Versus (the new, nicer Lance?) and is certainly a local favorite here in Sonoma County. Contador, last year's winner of the Tour de France, is weighing in at 20,391 signatures on his quadri-lingual site that implores one (in the language I can read) to help the "Tour change its idea" so we can all "enjoy again the attacking cycling of 2007 Tour de France." After all, fans of "the good cycling" know that "rectify is of wise people."

Don't get me wrong - I think that excluding Team Astana for the misdoings of last year's riders is excessive and maybe even suspicious. In my kindergarten level understanding of professional cycling and its politics it all seems a bit dramatic. But seriously, having Borat translate your website....